Outlet box



Oct. 25, 1960 L. H. MENKEE OUTLET BOX Filed April 9, 1958 M m 8 s 2 2= q8 It! 8 w W m W M m m @744 r 8 PVC f M m a e m m m m United StatesPatent OUTLET BOX Lawrence H. Menkee, 1551 3rd St., Manhattan Beach,Cahf., assrgnor of one-fourth to Clara Jean Pauline Menkee Fredriksen,Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Filed Apr. 9, 1958, Ser. No. 727,322

4 Claims. (Cl. 220-3.6)

The present invention relates to certain new anduseful improvements inan electric outlet box.

A general object of the instant endeavor is to structurally,functionally and otherwise improve upon similarly constructed andperforming prior art outlet boxes and, in doing so, to provide a simple,practical and efiicient adaptation in which manufacturers will findtheir manufacturing requirements and economies met and electricians andother users will find their needs effectually satisfied.

Novelty is predicated on the adoption and use of a structurally distinctbox, particularly the components thereof which are such that they makefor installation with a minimum of efiort and reduce requirements foralteration and repair, after installation, to an appreciable minimum.The fact is that the construction is such that the hole in the wallrequired to accommodate the box is approximately the width of the boxand only a fraction of an inch longer than the height of the box so asto in this manner provide a close fitting association between the wallsof the box and the marginal edges of the hole in which the installationis made. With such a construction all that is necessary is to set thebox against the wall at the desired location, scribe around the exterior of the same and then carefully cut at side lines leaving the lineand then cut the top and bottom taking the line also. One need then onlyprepare the desired knockout, cut and skin a piece of wire, insert thewire through the face plate holes and bend into hook form so as to avoiddropping the box within the wall. Provided with novel clamping means thebox may be quickly clamped and anchored in position.

Stated somewhat more explicitly, the top and bottom Walls of the box areprovided with elongated slots. Each slot serves to accommodatinglyreceive an attaching and adjusting ear provided on an adjustable boxclamping device. In addition, openings may also be provided in said topand bottom Walls to facilitate attachment of angle-shaped cleats whichare employed to provide holding means for the outer ends of said top andbottom walls.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparentfrom the following description and the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, wherein like numerals are employed to designate likeparts throughout the views:

Fig. 1 is a front view with portions broken away and showing afragmentary portion of a wall or support with the improved box and howit is constructed and mounted;

Fig. 2 is a section on the irregular line 2-2' of Fig. 1 looking in thedirection of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the structure seen in Fig. l with the coverplate appearing in section;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the clamping devices; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the aforementioned retainers orcleats.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper front portion ofthe box; and

" ice 2 I Figure 7 is a fragmentary view in section on the line 7-7 ofFig, 3. v Referring now to the drawing in detail the wall 7 r otherstationary support is denoted by the reference nu.- meral 8 and the holewhich is cut therein to accommodate the improved box 10 is denoted at12. It will be noticed in this connection that the box is such in con.-struction that a snug-fitting association with the hole 12 is assured.Yet, the box remains securely once it is positioned and clamped in themanner illustrated. So far as the cover plate 14 is concerned, this ispurely ornamental and has no real function in the mechanical connectionbetween the box 10 and the Wall or support 8. The cover, it will benoticed is held in place by a single screw or equivalent fastening 16.The fixture which is to be mounted is the dual receptacle unit and thisis denoted at 18'and provided with selectively usable receptacles 20. Inmost boxes commonly seen on the market the upper and lower walls havelaterally bent apertured lugs such as for example the lugs 26 seen inthe Windsheimer patent, 2,357,787. In the instant invention the lowerhorizontal wall 22 has an upstanding inturneddug 24 to which the end ofthe attaching strap 26 is adjustably and removably secured as at 28.A-similar connection for the upper end of the strap 30 as at 32 isprovided between the upperwall 34 and thedepending lug 36. So far as thewalls of the box are concerned they are not unusual. That is to say, therear wall 38 has a knockout 40 therein and the top and side walls 42have knockouts 44 therein. The top and bottom walls 34 and respectively,are distinct in that they are each provided with an elongatedslot 49. Atthe left hand or inward end (Figure 2) of the slot there is an inturnedlug 48 which is apertured to provide a bearing for a reduced journal 50on the cooperating end'of a horizontal feed screw 52. The outer end ofthe screw is provided with a head 54 having a kerf therein and the shankof the screw is screwed through a screw threaded hole provided in alateral ear 56. This ear is an integral part of the adjustable anchoringor clamping device 58. As seen in Fig. 4 the ear has a screw threadedhole 60 connected by a reduced neck 62 to the edge 64 of the lowerflange '66 of the U-shaped part of the clamp. The bight portion isdenoted at 68 and the upper narrower flange at 70 and this is serratedto provide sawlike clamping teeth 72 adapted to be embedded in thesupport 8 in the manner perhaps best shown inFigs. 2 and 3. There is anL-shaped member also provided and the short arm 74 of this is welded orotherwise secured to the bight portion and the long arm 76 is coplanarwith the flange 66 and serves as a shield to cover the cooperatingportion of the slot 49. The U-shaped member and L-shaped member and theear 56 constitutes an entity which is adjustable by way of the shank 52of the feedscrew. That is, say, the feed-screw has one end journaled inthe bearing of the lug 48 and the other end adjustable in the screwthreaded hole 60 making it possible to shift the clamping device 58 backand forth relative to the wall 8 in an obvious manner.

Reference is now made to the retaining and finishing cleats. There aretwo of these cleats and each is the same in construction and even thoughone is upper and the other one is lowerthey can be each referred to asan angle-like cleat 78 (Fig-5) having a vertical flange 80, a horizontalflange 82' and a suitable key 84 oflfset at 86 and having separable butkeyed or interlocking connection with the adjacent suitably constructedand located slot. a. Your applicant has found it best when using theimproved box to set the same against the wall at a desired location andthen scribe around the margins after which it is desirable to carefullycut out at the side lines lea-v ing the line of course and then cut thetop and bottom areas of the opening following the scribed lines. Asbefore mentioned one may then. prepare the desiredknockout, cut and skina piece of wire about 8 inches long after which he may insert the wirethrough the face plate holes and bend the terminal portion into a sortofa hook 'so as to avoid. dropping the box in between the wall components.Then all that is necessary is to release the clamping devices to allowthe box to face through the wall opening andto allow one toinsertangle-like cleats or dog portions 84 in their respective slots.

It is known to your applicant that there are similar prior art boxes butnone wherein the novel clamping device of Fig. 4 is provided andcooperates with the slotted top or bottom wall as the case may be and isadjusted by way of a bolt 52 cooperating with the lug 48 at one end andan adjusting depending ear 56 at the other end. Then, too, novelty ispredicated on the stabilizing and mounting cleats 78. Consideredcollectively these components go to make up a highly practical andadvantageous box construction. I

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown and de-"scribed, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use in a hole in a wall the dimensions of which are predeterminedand restricted, an outlet box of general rectangular form embodyinghorizontal top and bottom walls and vertical side walls, a back wall andan open front and providing a receptacle portion, said box being of atransverse cross-sectionjjust slightly less than the width of the holein said wall and the exterior surfaces of the side walls being free ofobstructions to provide for a snug fit of the box, each of the sidewalls being capable of use as a templet in scribing the hole in thewall, said top and bottom walls each having a longitudinal slotextending from the open front toward the rear wall and provided at therear end with a depending lug, said lug depending into the receptacleportion of the box and having an aperture constituting a bearing, a pairof duplicate box mounting and clamping devices separate from the box andexteriorly located in respect to the cooperating exterior surfaces ofthe top and bottom walls, respectively, there being a clamping devicefor each slot and said clamping device embodying a U-shaped portionhaving upper and lower spaced parallel flanges with the lower flange insliding contact with the cooperating surface of the box wall, saidU-shaped portion being situated within the marginal confines of thecooperating wall and the longitudinal edges of the flanges facingoutwardly toward said hole, the edge of the upper flange being serratedand providing anchoring teeth, the lower flange being provided on amedian .part thereof with a lateral ear, said ear being disposed on theinterior of the box and being joined to the flange by a reduced neck,said neck being slidably keyed'in the cooperating slot, and a feed screwoperating in the receptacle portion of the box and having a headed outerend which is accessible for operation at the open front of the box, theinner end of said feed screw being reduced in cross-section andproviding a shouldered portion and a journal extending beyond theshouldered portion, said journal mounted for rotation in the bearing inthe cooperating lug, the'thread- "ed portion of said shank beingthreaded through the hole in the cooperating ear.

2. An outlet box capable of being fitted snugly but removably in anaccurately scribed opening provided therefor in a relativelystationarysupport for said box, said box being open only atits front andhaving'a back wall, top and bottom walls and side walls, said top andbottom walls having laterally bent inturned lugs, said lugs beingcoplanar and aligned with each other and apertured to provide bearings,said top and bottom walls having slots aligned with their respectivelugs, a clamp ing device on the exterior side of each top or bottomwall, each clamping device having a lateral ear slidably keyed in thecooperating slot, said ear provided with a screw threaded hole, afeed-screw having a headed outer end, the inner end journaled forrotation in the bearing in the cooperating lug, the threaded shank beingthreaded through the hole in the companion ear, each device having atoothed flange the teeth of which are adapted to be embedded in asurface of the support, and an L-shaped member, the long arm of which ishorizontal and parallel to the cooperating exterior surface of theadjacent wall and which constitutes a shield and serves as a partialcover for a cooperating end portion of the associated slot.

3. For use in a hole in a Wall the dimensions of which are predeterminedand restricted, an outlet box of general rectangular form embodyinghorizontal top and bottom walls and vertical side walls, a back wall andan open front and providing a receptacle portion, said box being of atransverse cross-section just slightly less than the width of the holein said wall and the exterior surfaces of the side walls being free ofobstructions to provide for a snug fit of the box, each of the sidewalls being capable of use as a templet in scribing the hole in thewall, said top and bottom walls each having a longitudinal slotextending from the open front toward the rear wall and provided at therear end with a depending lug, said lug depending into the receptacleportion ofthe box and having an aperture constituting a hearing, a pairof duplicate box mounting and clamping devices separate from the box andexteriorly located in respect to the cooperating exterior surfaces ofthe top and bottom walls, respectively, there being a clamping devicefor each slot and said clamping device embodying a U-shaped portionhaving upper and lower spaced parallel flanges with the lower flange insliding contact with the cooperating surface of the box wall, saidU-shaped portion being situated within the marginal confines of thecooperating wall and the longitudinal edges of the. flanges facingoutwardly .toward said hole, the edge of the upper flange being serratedand providing anchoring teeth, the lower flange being provided on amedian part thereof with a lateral ear, said earbeing disposed on theinterior of the box and being joined to the flange by a reduced neck,said neck being slidably keyed in the cooperating slot, and a feed screwoperating in the receptacle portion of the box and having a headed outerend which is accessible for operation at the open front of the box, theinner end of said feed screw being reduced in cross-section andproviding a shouldered portion and a journal extending beyond theshouldered portion, said journal mounted for rotation in the bearing inthe cooperating lug, the threaded portion of said shank being threadedthrough the hole in the cooperating ear, said clamping devices beingadapted to engage interior surfaces of the support for said box, andmeans carried by the marginal edge of each top and bottom wall andadapted to engage exterior surfaces of the box support, the means ineach instance comprising a cleat which is angle-shaped in cross-sectionand includes a vertical-flange adapted to abut a cooperating surface ofthe support, that. is, thesurface thereof facing into the room, having ahorizontal flange adapted to telescope into the aforementioned hole,said horizontal flange being provided with a pair of offset keying andanchoring members detachably fastened to the cooperating box wall by wayof openings provided therefor in said wall.

4. For use in a hole in a wall the dimensions of which are predeterminedand restricted, an outlet box of gen eral rectangular form embodyinghorizontal top and bottom walls and vertical side walls, a back wall andan open front and providing a receptacle portion, said box being of atransverse cross-section just slightly less than the width of the holein said wall and the exterior surfaces of the side walls being free ofobstructions to provide for a snug fi-t of the box, each of the sidewalls being capable of use as a templet in scribing the hole in thewall, said top and bottom walls each having a longitudinal slotextending from the open front toward the rear wall and provided at therear end with a depending lug, said lug depending into the receptacleportion of the box and having an aperture constituting a hearing, a pairof duplicate box mounting and clamping devices separate from the box andexteriorly located in respect to the cooperating exterior surfaces ofthe top and bottom walls, respectively, there being a clamping devicefor each slot and said clamping device embodying a U-shaped portionhaving upper and lower spaced parallel flanges with the lower flange insliding contact with the cooperating surface of the box wall, saidU-shaped portion being situated within the marginal confines of thecooperating wall and the longitudinal edges of the flanges facingoutwardly toward said hole, the edge of the upper flange being serratedand providing anchoring teeth, the lower flange being provided on a 25median part thereof with a lateral ear, said car being disposed on theinterior of the box and being joined to the flange by a reduced neck,said neck being slidably keyed in the cooperating slot, and a feed screwoperating in the receptacle portion of the box and having a headed outerend which is accessible for operation at the open front of the box, theinner end of said feed screw being reduced in cross-section andproviding a shouldered portion and a journal extending beyond theshouldered portion, said journal mounted for rotation in the bearing inthe cooperating lug, the threaded portion of said shank being threadedthrough the hole in the cooperating ear, retaining cleats angular incross-section having offset keying and interlocking members separablyconnectible with holes provided therefor in the top and bottom walls,said U-shaped member extending crosswise of the slot with which itcooperates, and an L-shaped member for each U-shaped member including along arm and a short arm, the long arm having sliding contact with anexterior surface of the adjacent wall and covering the slot andproviding a shield to prevent mortar and the like from getting into thebox by way of the slot, the short arm being superimposed upon andsecured to the bight portion of the U-shaped portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,309,189 Hancock et a1. Jan. 26, 1943 2,357,787 Windsheimer Sept. 5,1944 2,870,931 Buckels Jan. 27, 1959

